Can Current Grazing Practices Preserve Biodiversity in Semi-natural Pastures? A Study of the Historical Ecology of Swedish Infield Pastures

In order to preserve the biodiversity and cultural heritage in semi-natural pastures, it is important to manage each type of pasture in a way that resembles the historical land use that has shaped the ecosystem. We monitored the grazing regime in 28 pastures in Sweden from 1987 to 2012, and compared their management with the historical grazing regimes. The studied pastures, as well as a majority of the remaining high nature value pastures in Sweden, are located in historical infield areas, where grazing was determined by the system of fencing and use of meadows and arable fields, the so-called cultivation system. Using various sources, we compiled information about the major Swedish cultivation systems and interpreted their significance for the grazing regime. Historical grazing regimes are characterized by frequent late grazing and interannual variations in grazing period and grazing pressure. In contrast, the current grazing is rather intense through the entire summer and with little between-year variation. Also, the grazing in the 1980’s and 1990’s was considerably more varied and less intense than it is today. A pronounced shift in pasture management took place in the late 1990’s, and interviews with the farmers show that the shift was mainly caused by the criteria for agri-environment subsidies. Interviews also show that the subsidies have been important for continued use of the semi-natural pastures. We claim that the differences between current and historical grazing regimes constitute a severe threat to pasture biodiversity, and that it is urgent to adjust the eligibility criteria for agri-environment payments.